Uproar as pastor's wife and mother of 11 ...

By Ophie Jane Evans
Daily Mail
May 25, 2015

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3095565/Outrage-pastor-s-wife-mother-11-suggests-child-molester-Josh-Duggar-simply-PLAYING-DOCTOR-teenager-left-live-good-life.html

Josh Duggar (pictured, right, with his wife Anna) was simply 'playing doctor' when he molested young girls as they slept

Award: Ms Garrison has been named 'American Atheist Of The Year' by the American Atheist Association

Family: Josh Duggar stands beside his mother (far left) as he and his daughter are interviewed on 'Extra'

Uproar as pastor's wife and mother of 11 suggests child-molester Josh Duggar was simply 'PLAYING DOCTOR' as a teenager - and should be 'left alone to live a good life'

A pastor's wife and mother of eleven has sparked outrage online after suggesting that 19 Kids and Counting star Josh Duggar was simply 'playing doctor' when he molested young girls as they slept.

In a rant on a Quiverfull critic's Facebook page, Carrie Hurd, the wife of Texas minister Patrick Hurd, also referred to Josh's actions as 'a little Christian misbehavior' and said he should be 'left alone'.

Using her husband’s account to address atheist Vyckie Garrison, she wrote: 'When I was a kid, it was often called "playing doctor", there were just as many girls initiating this kind of behavior as boys.

'Most of those never went on to perp horrible things. The Duggars, who I have never watched - am not a fan, did it properly and the 14 year old boy should probably be left alone to live a good life.'

She added: 'You troll the news for any little Christian misbehavior. Get a life! Go to Iraq and fight ISIS if you are seriously worried about women being treated well by men and society.'

Mrs Hurd's comment was posted on Saturday - just two days after it emerged that Josh, now 27, had admitted to molesting several young girls at his family's Arkansas home when he was a teenager.

It has since provoked a storm of criticism on Ms Garrison's Facebook page, with many accusing Mrs Hurd of defending sexual assault and 'making excuses' for a boy who 'knew what he was doing'.

Ms Garrison herself told Daily Mail Online on Sunday that Mrs Hurd's comment had left her 'flabbergasted', saying: 'It was quite a thing to come out with. It was beyond ignorant.'

Facebook user Lynn Beisner responded to Mrs Hurd's post with the words: 'The difference between playing doctor and sexual assault is consent. And a sleeping child cannot give consent. Period.'

Another, Cat Givens, wrote: 'Molestation is not the same as "playing doctor"', while Tina Littleton said: 'Who are the people never to be blamed in child molestation cases? Answer: The victims.'

And one user noted: 'When I was fourteen I was training to be on a search and rescue team... That age is plenty old enough to have a moral compass and to know exactly what he was doing.'

Like the Duggars, the Hurds are part of the conservative fundamentalist Quiverfull movement, which promotes the beliefs that children are a blessing from God and families should 'trust the Lord' with their family planning. Therefore, couples should eschew all birth control, including sterilization, it teaches.

Mr and Mrs Hurd have 11 children - a staggering amount, but still significantly fewer than Michelle and Jim Bob Duggars' 19 - whom Ms Garrison said are following in their Christian parents' footsteps.

Speaking to Daily Mail Online, Ms Garrison, who was recently named this year's 'American Atheist Of The Year' by the American Atheist Association, revealed she herself formerly lived a Quiverfull life.

However, after she gave birth to her third child, doctors warned her that another pregnancy could kill her due to a health condition, leaving her and her now-former husband forced to employ birth control.

Ms Garrison subsequently re-examined everything she had been taught and eventually altered her beliefs. She left the movement around seven years ago and now runs the site 'No Longer Quivering'.

'It got to the point where I just couldn't keep Quivering up,' the mother-of-three told Daily Mail Online.

'It was an oppressive, restrictive lifestyle, I looked at my children and realized they were miserable.'

Mrs Hurd uploaded her 'playing doctor' comment to Ms Garrison's Facebook page on Saturday after the latter posted an Identities.Mic article about the Duggar scandal and the family's 'Christian cult'.

Two hours later, Ms Garrison copied Mrs Hurd's message, word-for-word, and posted it as a public Facebook status for the world to see. In doing so, she 'exposed' Mrs Hurd's controversial beliefs.

In addition to garnering dozens of angry responses, the post was also picked up by Raw Story. Ms Garrison later shared the news article online, writing: 'There's a lesson to be learned here, Carrie.

'Think twice before you decide to put a former Quiverfull mama in her place. I do know what I'm talking about when it comes to the pitfalls and family horrors of Christian patriarchy.'

One of the Hurds' sons has since spoken out about the Raw Story article, writing: 'You know you are doing something right when an atheist writes a whole article just to complain about you.'

On Sunday night, Mrs Hurd told Daily Mail Online: 'I did a really bad job in my frustration and Vickie did a great job of twisting it. Or maybe we just just have different views of the world. It was my understanding from the reports that the police were involved and all had received counseling.

'I like to think the best of people, and if a 14-year-old has changed and is living a lawful life after a crime, he should be able to live his adult life in peace. I like to believe rehabilitation is possible.'

She added: 'If he hasn't, he should go to jail.'

On Thursday, a police report emerged revealing that, in March 2002, an unnamed youngster had come forward saying Josh Duggar 'had been touching her breasts and genitals while she slept.'

Shortly after, Josh - who has three children, and another on the way, with wife Anna - admitted to his actions to his parents. At the time, the family had a meeting, but did not inform authorities.

A year later, 'several' more minors came forward to say that Josh had touched them, and the teen was sent away to the Basic Life Principles Training Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, for treatment.

However, authorities only became aware of Josh's actions in 2006 after Oprah Winfrey's production team alerted them to an email they had been sent warning the host about the molestation scandal.

The scandal became public knowledge last Thursday when the 2006 police report accusing Josh of molestation was obtained by InTouch Magazine - prompting Josh to confirm the sordid claims.

The father-of-three also apologized, admitting that he had 'acted inexcusably' as a teenager.

'Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,' Josh said in a statement.

'I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation.

'We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling.'

He also resigned from his position at the Family Research Council in Washington D.C.

Jim Bob and Michelle - former Arkansas 'Mother of the Year' - released their own statement, saying: 'Back 12 years ago our family went through one of the most difficult times of our lives.

'When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes, and we were shocked. We had tried to teach him right from wrong.

'That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before.'

The police report detailed Josh's molestation of five minors in 2002 and 2003. He was never charged with a crime for the incidents as by the time police learned of the offenses the statue of limitations had passed, and his parents did not notify authorities in an official capacity at any point.

Following the revelations concerning Josh's molestation of young girls, General Mills said it had 'blacklisted' the TLC show, 19 Kids and Counting, and removed it from its advertising schedule.

And on Friday, TLC pulled the show from its schedule. The move came one day after the network decided to run a marathon of the show that heavily featured Josh, which had outraged fans.

TLC is yet to comment on the program's long-term future. It is also yet to address queries over how TLC executives were apparently unaware of Josh's molestation claims following the Oprah incident.

The network has also pulled the Duggars from its Summer Block Party event, Philly.com reported.

On Friday night, Arkansas police confirmed that they had destroyed the report on Josh after one of his victims came forward and requested the document be expunged from public record.

The girl told a judge she feared her name would be released and she was still a minor. The judge agreed and signed off to have the report into the nine-year-old investigation destroyed.

Daily Mail Online has contacted Mrs Hurd for comment.